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Comfy cafe furniture a welcome sight for saddle-sore Brits

Thanks to the unpredictable British summertime weather, outdoor cafe furniture often needs to be water-resistant, which makes metal chairs a popular choice.

However, if you have undercover areas or French windows, it might be worth putting some comfortable, padded cafe furniture in view from the street.

That is because, with a surge in cycling throughout the UK in recent years, many Brits are likely to be looking for somewhere soft to sit after a hard day in the saddle.

According to Mintel, 41% of all Brits cited cycling as a hobby in November 2012, up from 34% in January, with half of all men getting in the saddle from time to time.

Senior leisure analyst Michael Oliver says: "Interest in cycling continues to grow, with a combination of factors contributing to consumers seeing cycling in a different light.

"Undoubtedly, there is considerable momentum behind bikes at the moment, driven by high-profile sporting successes in the Tour de France and Olympics."

We recently reported on how cafe furniture can represent a welcome rest point for walkers, ahead of Get Walking Week on May 4th-11th 2013.

Now, with the addition of this cycling trend, it is further support for investment into furniture refreshes for cafes and tea rooms in rural areas, with a large proportion of walk-in or cycle-up customers.

Of course, the best furniture for your needs will depend on a combination of factors, including how long your average customer stays during their visit, the amount of floor space available, and whether your seating is exposed to the elements if a sudden downpour hits.

If you need to maximise your use of outside space as a way of effectively fitting more customers in without having any extra interior space available, metal outdoor furniture is a great option.

Stackable chairs can be put away in storage - over winter, for example, when fewer customers are willing to sit outside - and are also easy to clean and dry if they get caught out in a rain shower.

Meanwhile, for that important transition zone between outside and the interior, a couple of statement leather armchairs are an excellent choice, and can look stunning in the open space of folded-back French windows on a sunny summer's day.